DON CURRIVAN: Career Re-visited:

By TJ Troup 

Don Currivan at Boston College

Good morning, one and all, some interesting football on Thanksgiving. 

Eric Goska has already written a splendid article on the Packer road victory, and watching the Niners last night was both insightful and fun. This is going to dovetail with John Turney's superb recent article on Pope and Currivan. Was in the Coliseum to watch Pope in '64 against the Bears, and he sure looked like he was going to have a long productive career, yet want to focus on Don Currivan. 

The Cardinals took him with the 18th pick in the draft, and as someone who relishes revisionist history, why did the Redskins not take him with the 10th pick in the draft? Jack Jenkins was a solid pro at fullback in his short career in Washington, but cannot help but wonder what my boy Slingin' Sam would have done with Currivan. 

Especially when the 'Skins drafted Taylor in '47. That would have been a pair of ends that would have been productive, effective, and highlight reel material. When you go to Pro Football Reference you can access the game logs for each player for each year, but many of Currivan's receptions are missing. 

There are some men who can do real research, and there are some that are just lazy. Currivan's game logs in '47 are incomplete at Pro Football Reference, yet I have his COMPLETE game by game logs for that year, and what stands out besides the fact he was the best deep threat in the league, is that he caught AT LEAST ONE PASS IN EVERY GAME. 

How many players accomplished that in 1947, and how many players in league history caught at least one pass in every game, yet caught less than 25 total in a season? John Turney has a couple film clips of Currivan touchdowns, and the last touchdown catch of his career came against the NY Bulldogs. 

The Rams first possession of the 4th quarter Los Angeles is still on a drive that began late in the 3rd quarter. Waterfield directs the Rams 95 yards for the score, that ends with a 15 yard pass to Fears. Next Ram possession and rookie Van Brocklin is at the helm, and not to be outdone by Waterfield, the Dutchman drives Los Angeles 80 yards in seven plays. 

First and ten on the Bulldog forty yard line, and you see the film clip of Van Brocklin expertly leading Currivan across the field on the post for 40 and the touchdown. Just a side note . . . Van Brocklin's last two touchdown passes of his career on December 18th, 1960, went to another receiver who could get open deep, a little guy named McDonald. 

See ya next Tuesday.